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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24803155">At the Threshold</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/EachPeachPearPlum/pseuds/EachPeachPearPlum'>EachPeachPearPlum</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Captain America (Movies), Iron Man (Movies), Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Humor, M/M, third date</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-06-20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-06-20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 01:01:30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>624</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24803155</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/EachPeachPearPlum/pseuds/EachPeachPearPlum</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <em>Threshold (noun)</em><br/>1. a strip of wood or stone forming the bottom of a doorway and crossed in entering a house or room.<br/>2. the magnitude or intensity that must be exceeded for a certain reaction, phenomenon, result or condition to occur or be manifested.
</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>It's date three and Steve is going to walk Tony to his door again.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Steve Rogers/Tony Stark</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>44</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Peach’s TSB 2020 works, Tony Stark Bingo 2020</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>At the Threshold</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>For the following TSB square:</p>
<p>Title: At the Threshold<br/>Collaborator Name: eachpeachpearplum<br/>Card Number: 3027<br/>Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24803155<br/>Square Filled: A1 - third date<br/>Ship/Main Pairing: Steve/Tony<br/>Rating: T<br/>Major Tags: Fluff, fluff and more fluff<br/>Summary: It's date three and Steve is going to walk Tony to his door again.<br/>Word Count: 624</p>
<p>Once again, a big thank you to <a href="https://rise-up-ting-ting-like-glitter.tumblr.com/">rise</a> for help with title and summary. Without you, this would still be tentatively titled <em>Cheeseburgers on the Statue of Liberty</em> and languishing in my finished-but-unposted folder.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Tony has no idea why he’s nervous.</p>
<p>Their first date, sure, he completely gets why he was nervous then. He’s himself, Tony Stark, genius-billionaire-playboy-philanthropist, fantastic at the sex part of relationships but awful at everything else. His inability to boyfriend is there on the internet for everyone to see, a history of tabloid headlines, sex-tapes with strangers, and well-documented trips in and out of rehab for every problem under the sun.</p>
<p>And Steve? Steve is an upstanding member of society, polite and respectful and absolutely beyond reproach in the eyes of the public. He is <em>made</em> for dating, for romance, for <em>marriage</em>, the exact opposite of Tony’s scandalous reputation.</p>
<p>So when Steve asked him to dinner and made it very clear that it wasn’t just as friends-slash-coworkers, of course Tony was nervous, because they might be as different as day and night but that doesn’t change the fact that Tony really fucking likes him and was therefore utterly convinced that he was going to fuck the whole thing up.</p>
<p>But, miracle of miracles, he didn’t.</p>
<p>They had dinner at a reasonably nice, moderately priced restaurant of Steve’s choosing, and didn’t see a single camera pointed at them the whole time. The conversation was pleasant, once they got past the unbearable awkwardness of a first date where they both already knew the answers to all the usual questions, and Steve scared off no fewer than three muggers as they took a walk through Central Park before making their way back to the Tower.</p>
<p>As first dates went, it was probably the best one Tony had ever been on, and when Steve walked him to his bedroom door Tony had thought very, very hard about inviting him in. Except then Steve had leaned in, pressed the lightest of kisses to Tony’s lips, and said, “Go out with me again next week?” and obviously, <em>obviously</em>, Tony had accepted without a second’s hesitation.</p>
<p>The nervousness abated somewhat for their second date, a Mets game during which Steve ate an implausible number of hotdogs and swore a blue streak that would make a sailor blush. It was fun, the whole thing, and Tony was still alternating between boggling at and laughing about some of the words he’d heard Steve come out with by the time they got home.</p>
<p>His second date with Steve was the most relaxed, fun date Tony has been on since college, maybe even including then, and when Steve walked him to his door again Tony still didn’t ask, but also Steve’s goodnight kiss wasn’t anywhere near as light as the first time. There was, just maybe, also a little bit of fondling, but Tony mostly kept it above the belt and as Steve finally said goodbye it wasn’t his ass that got a farewell pat.</p>
<p>Not that Tony’s complaining. As far as he’s concerned, Steve can pat his ass any time he wants.</p>
<p>But tonight. Tonight is date number three, and they’re going to go see <em>Hamilton</em> because Steve wants to and eat cheeseburgers on top of the Statue of Liberty because that’s what Tony wants. Not that he’s told Steve that’s what they’re doing for dinner, but it is and it’s going to be <em>awesome</em>, Tony just knows it, and none of that explains why he’s more on edge than he’s been in the lead-up to literally any date he’s ever been on.</p>
<p>It’s fucking ridiculous, is what it is. Chances are Steve doesn’t know about the stupid <em>third date equals sex</em> rule, and even if he does he’s not the kind of guy who’d expect anyone to follow it if they don’t 110% absolutely want to, and, oh, by the way, Tony <em>really goddamn wants to</em>.</p>
<p>So why the hell is he nervous?</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>If you enjoyed this, please let me know, and you can reblog the tumblr post <a href="https://dreaminglypeach.tumblr.com/post/621482415572090880/fic-at-the-threshold">here</a> x</p></blockquote><div class="children module" id="children">
  <b class="heading">Works inspired by this one:</b>
  <ul>
    <li>
        <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29219949">Step by Step (At The Threshold Remix)</a> by <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/HogwartsToAlexandria/pseuds/HogwartsToAlexandria">HogwartsToAlexandria</a>
    </li>
  </ul>
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